We left our eight hikers at the bunkhouse ruins just below the Empire Mines in Mineral King.
There are four different mining holes. (Are they called that?) I don’t know if they are separate mines, or entries to the same mine. Some might be enterable, but not unless you have ropes and know what you are doing!
See the rock spires above? Up there are a couple of air shafts that drop down into the mines. Only Scott, the youngest on our hike, ventured up there. He didn’t have to save his knees for the descent as the rest of us older duffers had to do.
Not much to see in there.
The rocks are very interesting at the mine entrances. This particular mine hole was closed with dirt by the Forest Service back when this was their jurisdiction. They didn’t want people falling down the hole. Sheesh!
This is the New England Tunnel. The New England Tunnel and Smelting Company was involved in the mining of Mineral King. I read Louise Jackson’s Mineral King history book twice, and I still can’t remember the details.
There’s nothing to see here, folks – keep moving.
But it looks so cool from the inside out!
Actually, it looks pretty neato from the outside in.
After the mines, we got on the old road. There is a road up there. Really!
We followed the road toward Timber Gap, and encountered about 6 or 7 more people. Turns out we knew them, and right there on the old wagon road that was built by miners, the descendants of some of the miners met up with their cabin neighbors. It was really fun!
Here is the final relic of the day. There was a gate between 2 trees on Timber Gap. These hinges and some wire remain.
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